Electrical-fitting connection.



J. A. McKAY. ELECTRICAL FITTING CONNECTION. APPLICATION FILED IuIY I.IsIs.

1 ,300,286. Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

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JOHN ANDEEWIOKAY, or TORONTO, oNTAEIdcANADA. y'

ELECTRICAL-FITTING CONNECTION.

To all whom z't may concern.' f

Be it known that I, JOHN ANDREW Mc- KAY, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and resident of the city of Toronto, county of York, Provinceof Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada,x have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in'Electrical- Fitting Connections, described inthefollowing specification and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings,fthat form part of the same.

The principal objects of this invention are, to devise an improved meansfor detachably securing electrical fittings so that the fittings may bewired separately'and attached or detached instantaneously and theiittingheld firmly in place..

A further and important object is to devise a form of wall fixture whichwill be ermanently secured and will present a ush outer face when not inuse and in which the electrical connections `for connecting withA thefixture or attachment will be electrically disconnected whenA not inuse.

The principal feature of the invention consists in certain improvementsover the structure disclosed in my pending application No. 197 ,455,whereby thepivotal socket connection to which the itting is secured iselectrically connected with the feed wires upon being swun outwardly onits pivot and wherebyfsai pivotal member isspringheld in its closedposition when `not in use and locked in itsopen` position toreceive the`itting. f

vIn the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical mid-sectional view of the wallfitting shown in the closed position.A

Fig 2 is a vertical sectional View showing the pivotal member in theopen position ready to receivethe `fixture connection, the fixture beingshown in vthe act of being placed therein. A y l Fig. 3 is a verticalsectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing the fitting in position.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View showino the Wall fixture member inits closed position.

In the installation of electrical fixtures it is extremely desirable toreduce the element of possible short circuits to the minimum and tothoroughly insulate the various connections with ahigh factor of safety.In order to accomplish lthis result, I utilize'y an insulating blockl'which is placed within the usual metal wallvbox if necessary and theSpeeiication of Letters Patent. Patented Api'. 15,v 1919.

Application led July v1, 1918. Serial No. 242,916.

lead wires 2 extend through openings from the' back. l

Contact members 3 are rigidly secured in the. insulating block andconnected to the lead wires 2 by the binding screws 1l. These contactmembers are formed with downwardly extending knife switch socket blades5. A face plate 6 is secured by suitable screws 7 to the plate 8connected tothe insulatlng block and is provided with a centralrectangular orifice 9. 'f

Pivot lugs 10 are struck up from the plate 8 on each side of th bottomof the orifice 9 and a lug 11 extend inwardly from the bottomsidecentrally of the width thereof, said lug having a transverse slot1-2 atr the inner A plate 13 is formed with pivot pins at the bottomcorners to fit into the pivot lugsI 1() and when so supported the saidplate 13 closes the orifice 9 and is provided with a finger lug 14; atthe top to enable its being withdrawn or swung outwardly on its pivot.

An insulating block 15 is secured to the back ofthe pivot 13 by thescrews 16. This block is formed with a longitudinal groove 17 in 'itsforward side in which a strip of spring metal 18 is secured,` being heldin place by the screws 16 which extend therethrough. The upper end 19 ofthe spring strip 18 is bentinwardly and formed with an upward slope andits inner end 20 is turned downwardly to fit into a recess 21. Thesloping end of the spring strip 19 is adapted to engage the plate 6 atthe upper edge of the orice 9 and the Aend QOengages the outer face ofthe plate when it hasbeen swung to its outward limit, thus holding theplate and block securely in an outwardly inclined position. 1-

Stop lugs 22 are formed upon the block l5 to engage the inner side ofthe face plate whenl the' pivotal member is swung outwardly.

The lower end 23 of the strip 18 extends through thetransverse slot 12in the lug 1l. and engages the underside of said lug, being sprung intoposition so that the pivotal memloer is .held tightly 'closed in the.position shown in Fig. 1 but allowing the pivotal member to be swungoutwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. The insulating block 15 isformed with a pair of longitudinal orifices 24 of circular cross sectionand narrow slots 25 open outwardly through the back of these orifices.

Switch blades 26 are formed of sheet metal having the tubular ends 27adapted to fit tightly into the lower enlarged ends of the orifices 24so that the blade portions extend outwardly through the slots 25, saidblades being arranged in alinement with the switch contacts 5 andadapted to engage therewith when the pivot plate 13 is swung to itsoutward position and to disengage therefrom when said plate is swung tothe closed position.

The fixture 28 is provided with a bracket 29 between the ends of whichis pivotally supported a block 30 of insulating material. A. pair ofconnector pins 31 are secured in this block and are sp'aced apart toconform to the spacing of the orifices'25 in the block ,15 and areadapted to be inserted thereinto and to form an electrical connectionwith the tubular ends of the switch blades 26.

The upper ends of the pins are suitably bored to receive the ends of theflexible wire connections 32 of the fixture. The pivot support of theblock 30 is well within the outer rim 33 of the fixture so that whenthecpins are inserted into the orifices in the block 15 and presseddownwardly the taper will draw the fixture inwardly until the edge of.

the rim 33 fits snugly against the wall and is wedged tightlythereagainst.

When the fixtureis thus placed in position it is held securely againstaccidental removal but it may be removed without damaging the wall orWithout the cutting of wires, by simply forcing it upwardly to withdrawthe pins from the block.

In the use of this device the block 1 is vsecured in place and the leadsare connected to the binding screws. The spring strip engaging the lug11 holds the block 15 in the closedposition and the switch blades 26 outof Contact with the switch blades 5.

When it is desired to attach a fixture or to connect any y electrical'attachment it is merely necessary te swing the plate 13 outwardly on itspivotluntil the upper end 19 of the spring strip springs into engage ntwith the face and locks the block 15 1n the inclined position. Thespring 19 co- A operates with the stop lugs 22 to hold the block firmlyin position. The forward swinging of the block on its pivot swings theswitch blades 26 upwardly to engage the switch blades 5 in the fixture,thus electrically `connecting the tubular contacts with the leads.

l 'The connector v.pins 31 of the fixture are swung outwardly on theirpivots and inserted into the orifices v24, The angularity ofthe block 15and the pivotal connection of the -pins with the fixture allow of thepins being guided into place without difficulty and when started intothe holes in the block 15 it is merely necessary to push down on thefixture until it is drawn tightly against the wall through the angulararrangement of the block. y

A fixture such as described eliminates all" the uncertain conditions ofwiring of fixtures into place and allows of their being readily removedand replaced at will and without damage, either to the wiring or to thewall.

It will also be seen that the leads are firmly and solidly connected tothe stationary binding screws and that there is no connection with thesebinding screws until the block 15 is swung open and as the Contactsockets are embedded well within the block there is no possibility ofshort circuits being made.

What I claim as my invention is 1. An electrical Vfitting connectioncomprising a fixed member having electrical contacts, a member pivotallysupported from said fixed member and having a pair of electricalcontacts adapted to engage said fixed contacts, a pair of contactspivotally mounted in the fitting and electrically connected and adaptedto engage the contacts in said pivotal member.- y

2. An electrical fitting connection comprising an insulating memberhaving a pair of fixed electrical contacts, a member pivotally supportedand having a pair of electrical contacts adapted to engage with saidfixed contacts, springmeans vfor holding said pivotal member with itscontacts clear of the fixed contacts, means for locking said pivotalmember with its contacts in engagement with said fixed contacts, and afixture -having pivotal electrical contacts adapted to engage thecontactsy in the aforesaid pivotal member.

3. An electrical fitting connection comprising an insulating memberhaving a pair of fixed electrical contacts, a plate secured to saidinsulating member having an opening therein, pivot lugs arranged eachside of the opening in said plate, a plate pivotally supported from saidpivot lugs and closing said opening, an insulating block secured to saidpivotal plate having socket holes therein, electrical contacts arrangedin said socket holes and adapted to engage the xed contacts in saidinsulating member, a spring member secured to said pivotal member andadapted to hold said plate in its closed position, a spring latcharranged at the top of said pivotal member to engage the edge of theopening in the plate to hold it open, a fixture, and pivotal contactpins arranged within said fixture and adapted to enter the openings inthe pivotal member secured in said plate. l

4. An electrical fitting connection comprising an insulating blockhaving a pair of fixed contacts formed with sprlng switch fingers, a.block of insulating material pivotally supported at the forward side ofthe ends fitting in .said .longitudinal orifices,-

means for' locking' the pivotal block in an I openlindlned pos1tion,afixture, `an insu1at.

ing blockv pivotally supported in saidfixture and a pair of contactmembers wired to the xture and adapted to enter the oriees in saidblock. f

5; electrical fitting connection cornprising, an insulating member havina pair of-ii'xed electrical contacts, a face-p ate se cured to said'member having an opening therein, a member pivotally supported andadapted to close the opening in said faee` plate, a pair ofelectrical'contacts carried yin said pivotal member and adapted toconnect with said xed contacts, .a strip ofsp .material secnredinf.iidpiiroial '25 f av' its :n parmi se lenga-ging. e uppli-g edge nl;'ther'opennli' the face plate M:and forming e. lug, the ower end of saidspring strip being held in fixed 'engagement with the 'face plate tospring -hold the pivotal member tothepfclosed position.

6. An .electrical fitting. connection, comprising, an insulating memberhavin a pair of fixed electrical contacts,y aiace p ate' secured to saidinsulating member having an openin therein and a rigid *lug-extendinginwar y-from the bottom edge of said opening, said lug having a slottherethrough, a member pivotally supported from said face plate andadapted to' close the opening 'theref 1n and formed with a longitudinalgroove in its forward side, a strip of spring materialv .secured vin thegroove 1n jsa'id ivotal 1nem-` ber. having its lower lend exten vinthrough the slot in the fixed lug .of theace vplate and engagingthe-underside of the lug and' sprin ,holding the'pivotal member theclose position, the upperfend' of said strip .being turned inwardly .and.d e the'u per yedge of face p and stop opening Yth'rcmg t otal member.

JOHN ANDREW JMGKAY.-

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